Meant to be Seen Makes Final U-DECIDE Initiative Report Available

Toronto, Ontario– February 26th, 2009– Meant to be Seen, the foremost authority group on stereoscopic 3D (S-3D) gaming and home entertainment, has announced the availability of the U-DECIDE Initiative report, the first report to accurately measure customer opinions about 3D cinema and gaming entertainment from both traditional 2D and experienced stereoscopic 3D consumers.

“We were very pleased to sponsor the U-DECIDE report as it allowed us to get a real glimpse into how many people are interested in stereoscopic 3D in future products. What I did not expect was the breadth and depth of analysis performed, which offered a wealth of statistics and practical conclusions everyone can follow.”– Lee Bamber, CEO of The Game Creators.

Made possible with the assistance of AMD, iZ3D, Blitz Games Studios, The Game Creators and Guild Software, the U-DECIDE final report has determined what customers think of 3D entertainment, and dispels the leading myths and assumptions about the technology.

"The MTBS U-DECIDE Initiative Report is not only packed with important findings about this new and growing venue for stereoscopic displays and applications - it is also written in a clear and clean style that makes it a pleasure to read. I highly recommend this research report to those working in this emerging area of S-3D entertainment and gaming in the home, and I congratulate Neil Schneider and his colleagues for a job well done.” - John O. Merritt, Founder of the Stereoscopic Displays&Applications Conference and Merritt.com.

Customer opinions were captured in two separate online surveys. One was for traditional gamers who don’t yet own 3D display equipment, and the other was for experienced stereoscopic 3D gamers and consumers. Each respondent was required to answer 26 multipart questions, and there were well over seven hundred surveys collected (60% 2D, 40% S-3D gamers), with each taking as long as ten minutes to complete.

MTBS chose to promote survey participation to gamers because recent studies demonstrate that over 50% of adults play video games. Gamers are also technically savvy enough to understand both cinema and gaming markets equally well and are most likely to be able to answer questions in an informed manner.

“40% of our respondents are experienced S-3D gamers. These are the consumers who have hands-on experience, they have a personal interest in 3D, and they represent the best case scenario of what we could hope for from a 3D customer. If we want to know what will ultimately succeed in the home, only these individuals have the experience to tell us for sure,” said Schneider.

MTBS was pleased to learn that the majority of misconceptions about 3D are not as rampant as suggested. For example:

• Only 12% of 2D customers object to 3D glasses for video games. Blu-ray movies fall in-between with 16% glasses objection, and this climbs to almost 30% for 3D broadcast television. S-3D customers have just a 3% objection level for video games, 4% for Blu-ray, and 12% for broadcast television.

• 93% of 2D customers and 99% of S-3D gamers want developers to officially support true 3D in their video games.

According to U-DECIDE, 3D cinema in the theater is not the driver for the above results.

“I’m sure modern 3D cinema helps, but the driving influence is the viral discussion of 3D in the home. While the personal experience of consumer 3D technologies is what finalizes the positive opinions for some, the majority of customers are positive even before the 3D solutions are tried,” explained Neil Schneider, President&CEO of Meant to be Seen.

• Analysis of pricing viability for leading S-3D products and product categories according to customers

• Brand awareness and penetration of leading S-3D products

• The impact of the modern economy on consumer opinion and expected buying patterns

• Analysis of 3D cinema in the theater and home

• Analysis of 3D gaming

• Much, much more

“iZ3D Inc. is proud to support MTBS's U-DECIDE report. It’s a gold mine of information and statistics catalogued in a logical format with at-a-glance comprehensible charts. With the level of provided detail the report will prove to be a useful tool for hardware, software and content companies that participate in the electronic games industry with special interest in the rapidly accelerating growth of 3D games and 3D entertainment.”– Tom Striegler, CEO of iZ3D Inc.

Committed MTBS partners and qualified game developers who accept complementary MTBS Certification can get the report for free. There will be a 5% discount to MTBS members (free registration), and interested parties can email udecide@mtbs3D.com for more information on the report’s contents and pricing.

Meant to be Seen (mtbs3D.com) is made possible by unrestricted education grants from iZ3D LLC and TDVision Corp. Non-proprietary in nature, MTBS welcomes additional industry involvement to help grow the popularity and effective use of consumer stereoscopic 3D technologies.

For more information, visit http://www.mtbs3D.com/udecide.shtml. Visitors will get detailed information about the study’s findings, methodology, sample data, the table of contents, and much more. This release represents a small sampling of what was learned.

Games Press is the leading online resource for games journalists. Used daily by magazines, newspapers, TV, radio, online media and retailers worldwide, it offers a vast, constantly updated archive of press releases and assets, and is the simplest and most cost-effective way for PR professionals to reach the widest possible audience. Registration for the site and the Games Press email digest is available, to the trade only, at www.gamespress.com.

Get the latest news sent to your inbox

Sign up to receive MCV's email news updates and access to other online products and services.

MCV is the leading trade news and community site for all professionals working within the UK and international video games market. It reaches everyone from store manager to CEO, covering the entire industry. MCV is published by NewBay Media, which specialises in entertainment, leisure and technology markets.